Kevin Allman (pictured outside North Staffordshire Justice Centre) fell out with a couple after they moved into his road
A father-of-two made his neighbours’ lives a ‘living nightmare’ during a sustained campaign of harassment in a row over him blocking their drive with his car.
Kevin Allman claimed to have left his vehicle on the pavement outside his home in Bentilee, Staffordshire for 10 years without any objections from other road users.
However the 51-year-old fell out with Jamie Wright and Rebecca Hoole after the pair moved into the road and his car began to partially block their driveway.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that as the row escalated, Allman threatened and shouted abuse at his neighbours.
The court heard the couple bought their home last March and carried out renovations before moving in a month later.
But within a few days of getting the keys, Allman asked Mr Wright to move his van, despite it being parked outside his own home.
Mr Wright told the court: ‘My van was on the other side of the hedge, parked on the pavement.
‘He said it was his space and he had been parking there for 10 years. It is no one’s right to park there. I was not doing anything wrong.’
He said they reached an agreement that whoever arrived home first could park there.
But the problems continued and Mr Wright was issued with a Community Resolution Order after he ‘reacted’ to something said by his neighbour.
He said: ‘Everyone has a breaking point. I went round and asked him what the problem was.
‘Threats were made. I asked him to see them through. I am not an aggressive person.’
Several incidents were captured on CCTV including an occasion when Mr Wright took items out his van and put them on the pavement.
The defendant’s partner, Marie, came out and began kicking the boxes. Mr Wright’s child witnessed the incident and became upset.
The defendant ‘went for’ Mr Wright but his partner got in his way and she was pushed on to the bonnet of his vehicle.
Mr Wright was accused of attacking her but no action was taken when police viewed the CCTV.
Another incident involved the defendant reversing into the side of the van.
The situation became so bad it led to Mr Wright and Miss Hoole splitting up and he moved out for five weeks.
Mr Wright added: ‘It has been a living nightmare.’
Miss Hoole told the court: ‘As soon as we got the keys I went next door to introduce myself.
‘I said we were doing some renovations and if the banging was too much just let us know and we would stop.
‘He said it was his spot and he had been parking there for 10 years.. It is nobody’s spot, it is a public footpath.’
As well as the parking issue, Miss Hoole said Allman played music too loud, comments were made over the fence and he called her a ‘foul-mouthed cow’.
She added that they have also suffered banging on the walls.
The couple have now widened their drive and paid to have a dropped kerb to try to alleviate the parking issue.
Stephen Oldham, mitigating, said the defendant has learning difficulties and is a carer for his daughter who has severe autism.
Allman, of Bentilee, denied three charges of harassment but was convicted of all matters after a trial.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 12 days.
He was made the subject of a restraining order which prevents him contacting his victims for two years.
Magistrates fined Allman £50 and ordered him to pay £400 costs and an £85 surcharge.
Prosecutor Sam Morgan said: ‘It was a sustained campaign of harassment.’